Greenway

[mrmtholly]

http://www.mounthollyfoundation.org/greenways.php

[Anonymous2]

is this still a thing?

[Scott L]

Isn't the "greenway" something that the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation does? I heard they collect money and either turn it over to the city or donate it to the city or something.

[user]

other then sending out junk mail and wasting time and space wat does mhcdf do?

[Scott L]

other then sending out junk mail and wasting time and space wat does mhcdf do?

Alright. This one snuck in here. They have a website for you to see what they do. That being said, I am a member and once asked them to better communicate in their monthly e-mail newsletters their accomplishments. I was told to watch for that. So I'm watching for it.

I think they are trying to put up a downtown kiosk or community bulletin board - I suppose the paper version of MyMtHolly.COM. And I know they are trying to buy a better Christmas tree for downtown.

But this topic is about the Greenway and I must admit I don't know where that stands or when it will be "done". Anyone?

You've got to love how this is stated on their website. This could have been written 5 years ago and the "future plans" are non-specific:

Progress Continues
The Greenways Committee is excited about progress on our developing Greenway system! Clariant Corporation has signed the first easement in this multi-year process. We will continue to obtain other easements as we connect our trail from Tuckaseege Park to Mountain Island Lake Park. Future plans also include extending our greenway to the YMCA south and the NC Education Forest north.

[MsMountHolly]

I can see from the posts that no one is actually confirming their information before posting.

I would advise all to reach out to the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation to find out what a huge undertaking the Greenway was and is. It is not just a simple process. If it were, it would have been completed.

The project involves several major corporations, the City, and the Foundation.

People have worked for years to have the successes that they have achieved.

All anyone needs to do to find out is ask. I did the same thing. I went to the meeting and asked. I was surprised at just how much went into this project and can now understand why the timeline is what it is.

[Scott L]

"I can see from the posts that no one is actually confirming their information before posting." -- Nope. Kind of like Facebook but these topics shouldn't be crowed with off-topic advertisements and lost pets. But please clarify any information you find incorrect.

"I would advise all to reach out to the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation to find out what a huge undertaking the Greenway was and is." -- Did that. Still doesn't make sense to me. How long has this initiative been going on? What do we have to show for it? Why does the MHCDF not publish on its website REAL facts and dates? How much money has been collected, spent, and held for this? I would LOVE to have this kind of stuff published so that we can be proud (?) of it and get citizens excited and involved. If this is such a great and effective thing, why is it not published on the MHCDF website?

" I went to the meeting and asked." -- Where are these meeting minutes published? Where is the timeline published? Someone asked me about it in a private conversation and I spent 20 minutes looking for a "Greenway" map of where this thing is or will be -- I couldn't find that anywhere. Please publish a reference to that map and let that information be boasted! Would LOVE to know how to brag about it.

[Scott L]

So I ran across last year's MHCDF Annual Report. In it tells what progress they made last year on the Greenway after spending $46,085 on it:

August, 2014 – Mike Repack, Project Engineer with Alta advised that he is working very closely with all parties involved. A number of required permits were submitted in June and July with NCDENR, Us Army Corps of Engineers and NCDOT. Waiting on approvals.
October, 2014 - FROGS Event - “MISSION: Leap Outdoors” 10/18/2014 ~ 1pm – 5pm was held in Tuckaseegee Park. This free event was sponsored by a $5,000 grant from Duke Energy. E-Corp Expeditions was hired as the main organizer for the event. Families visited 10 stations which included exhibits from The Schiele Museum, Davidson Herpetology, Tailrace Marina, National Wild Turkey Federation, 4-H of Gaston County, Catawba Riverkeeper and more. Carolina Raptor Center released a red-tailed hawk during the event.
November, 2014 – FERC application is completed and waiting approval. City has until April, 2015 to forward final plans, easements and permits to NCDOT for approval to begin bidding the construction of the greenway.

There is also $70,234 in cash the MHCDF holds.

The Greenway scope of work was yet another thing in the Strategic Vision Plan that the city was supposed to progress since 2006 specifically in these ways:
1. Establish Greenway goal to build one mile of greenway per year (I'm still looking for a map of what should now be 9 miles of greenway)
2. Budget for continued Greenway development (Can't wait to see how many SVP items were budgeted in the recently approved budget)
3. Complete Greenway from the dam to Tuck Park (I still can't imagine where this is hiding.)
4. Budget for continued Greenway development along secondary streams within Small Area Plans (?)

5 Years ago, it was reported like this:
"On a 5-1 vote, the council approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation, the nonprofit organization that has been campaigning for greenways in the city since 2003. The agreement specifies the responsibilities of each party for greenways." http://www.mountainislandweekly.com/new ... -greenway/

"Foundation Chairman Dr. Lee Beatty said that the greenway would create healthier communities, increase property values and drive demand for high-quality new development. The foundation envisions building the entire greenway over 10 to 15 years, in manageable phases of 1 to 2 miles." -- This was stated in 2010. We're now 50%-33% into this period of time. How many miles have been constructed?

"The foundation has raised more than $880,000, including $373,000 for greenways" -- The foundation now has $70,234. If no other funding has come in for the Greenway, what was the $666,766 spent on?

"The foundation has paid Greenways $178,000 for design and consultation and will pay another $96,000 for “shovel ready” construction documents for the first two phases of the greenway." -- That was written in 2010. This was right in the middle of the period of time our government was trying to give away money for "shovel ready" jobs. What do we have to show for it? For $178k, we could have bought the mayor and all 6 councilpersons a new Chevy Camaro with that kind of money.

So in a nutshell, I'm comfortable having the opinion that the greenway initiative would appreciate more effective leadership from the town and the MHCDF if that's the go-to organization to execute the project.

[Scott L]

I hear rumors that in last night's council meeting there was a watershed event for the greenway idea. Unsubstantiated reports are that after more than a decade of waiting (for who knows what), there is a path to now break ground. I'm not sure how this watershed moment is different than a previous watershed moment 5 years ago: http://www.mountainislandweekly.com/new ... -greenway/

But here's hoping for quick progress due to more than a decade of planning and design and whatever else occurred to make this shovel-ready and easy to build. I would love to have contribution from people "in the know" document where this is going and how quickly we'll get there so that we can all pile on in support of this Strategic Vision Plan line item!

[Concrete Crew]

If the Greenway people wanna talk, I can provide some labor if they buy some concrete.

I'm ready to get this Greenway started. We need more bike trails and walking areas.

I also Value Engineer 90% of our Concrete projects.

brandon@benchmark-concrete.com